Get Your Blood Flowing: Improving Circulation with Diabetes

improving circulation
Your first thought about managing your diabetes might be controlling your blood sugar. But, don’t forget about improving circulation. Your blood needs to pump smoothly so your feet and legs stay as healthy as possible.

If you’re feeling numbness, tingling, or cramping in your feet, peripheral arterial disease (PAD) could be to blame. This condition, that narrows and hardens arteries due to fatty plaque build-up, affects between 8-12 million Americans, and approximately one-third of individuals with diabetes over age 50 live with it.

Poor blood flow plays a large role in the 73,000 amputations that occur among people with diabetes annually, so improving circulation could not only improve how your legs and feet feel, but it could also save you from losing an extremity.

Consider taking these steps to improving circulation:

Exercise: Engage in some form of cardiovascular activity for 30 minutes five days a week to keep your blood pumping. Biking, walking, running, swimming, and aerobics are good options. The most important thing is to be sure you’re moving your toes, feet, ankles, and legs.

Quit smoking: Smoking hardens your arteries, much like PAD, and decreases your circulation. Stopping can help improve how well your blood reaches your legs and feet.

Control your cholesterol: High cholesterol can narrow and harden your arteries, limiting your circulation. Talk with your doctor about what your optimal cholesterol numbers are and shoot for lower.

Keep blood sugar low: Managing your blood sugar levels is also important to maintaining healthy blood flow. Keep your levels between 80-130 mg/dL before eating and under 180 mg/dL after eating. Pay attention to your A1C levels, too, though. The target level for people with diabetes is 6.5 percent.

De-stress: Not only does stress increase your heart rate, blood pressure, and blood sugar levels, but it also sends more blood to your brain, heart, and skeletal muscles. Conscious muscle relaxation, deep breathing, and visualizing comfortable situations, such as using the WarmFeet technique, can lower your heart rate and blood pressure, increase your body temperature, and route blood to more areas of the body, including your extremities. In fact, WarmFeet has been clinically proven to increase circulation and heal foot ulcers.

Wear diabetic compression socks: Compression socks apply pressure to your calves and feet, straightening out your veins so the valves work better and let more blood flow through. Be sure any socks you choose won’t wrinkle and offer extra padding and flat seams. Socks made from acrylic, merino wool, bamboo, and charcoal mixed with spandex minimize the abrasiveness on your feet and decrease the amount of moisture that could come in contact with any foot sores you might develop. Compression socks range from extra-light to extra-firm pressure. Talk with your doctor about what would be best for you.

Take medications correctly: If your doctor prescribes blood thinners, take it as directed. It can’t stop the build-up of plaque on your arteries, but it can improve your circulation.

 

Following these suggestions could help you avoid the negative impacts of poor circulation. The more freely your blood flows, the less pain, discomfort, numbness, and cold temperatures you’ll experience in your feet and legs.

Contact the Amputation Prevention Centers of America for more information on how to improve your circulation.

Low Blood Flow: The Cold Truth About Poor Circulation Leading to Diabetes

Poor Circulation

If your hands and feet stay cold, perhaps even numb, it’s an almost sure sign you have poor circulation. While decreased blood flow can be a symptom of several medical problems, one of the most common is diabetes.

The symptom might seem mild, but if left unchecked, poor circulation puts you at risk for limb, heart, kidney, brain, and eye damage.

Consequently, it’s important to know how your poor circulation developed and how you can improve the condition.

How Does Diabetes-Related Poor Circulation Happen?

  1. Diabetes can lead to poor circulation in several ways. In many cases, high glucose levels can be the culprit. Over time, high glucose levels in your blood can cause damage to the lining of your small blood vessels, impeding your circulation.
  1. Diabetes also increases your risk of peripheral arterial disease (PAD). Based on data from the American Diabetes Association, 1 in 3 people over age 50 with diabetes has PAD. The fatty deposits common to this condition narrow the blood vessels, mainly in your legs and feet. As this happens, your chances of having a stroke or heart attack rise significantly.

 

Identifying Poor Circulation

Diabetic neuropathy — cold or numb hands or feet — is a common sign of poor circulation in diabetes. However, according to United Kingdom-based Global Diabetes Community, you should alert your doctor if you experience these symptoms, as well:

  • Pain when walking, particularly in calves, thighs, and buttocks
  • Chest pain during exertion
  • High blood pressure
  • Infections in your feet
  • Trouble seeing
  • Hair loss on legs or feet
  • Dry, cracked skin on feet
  • Slow-healing wounds on feet
  • Brittle toenails
  • Erectile dysfunction

 

Can You Improve Your Circulation?

Yes, you can. According to The Diabetes Council, there are several things you can to do improve your blood flow.

  • Exercise is one of the best ways to improve blood flow to your hands, feet, legs, and other parts of the body. At least five days a week, try to bike, run, walk, swim, or get some other type of aerobic exercise for 30 minutes. In fact, according to the United Kingdom’s National Health Service, exercising consistently for 6 months can produce a 20-percent improvement in ankle blood pressure. This reduction points to PAD improvement, as well as increased circulation.
  • Keep your blood sugar levels under control. Aim for keeping your blood sugar at the levels recommended by the American Diabetes Association for both before and after meals.
  • Control your blood pressure and cholesterol levels, trying to maintain levels recommended by the American Heart Association. Take medication, if necessary.
  • Wear warm diabetic (compression) socks. If your feet can’t feel temperature, avoid putting them in a hot bath.
  • Check your feet daily for any injuries.
  • Lose weight.
  • Stop smoking.

Pay attention to what your body tells you. If you start to develop symptoms of poor circulation, talk with your doctor or contact the Amputation Prevention Centers of America. Addressing the problem early could prevent infections, amputations, and worsening cardiovascular health issues.